Repair is the new Recycle

I repaired a gramophone from 1910: The mechanism was broken. Therefore I attached my Iphone to the horn with a soft foam connective piece over the Iphone’s loudspeaker. This results in a wonderful sounds, especially horns sound amazing.Vince Vijsma, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

I remember when I was much younger, I would love to take stuff apart, modify it and put them back together. I actually learnt how to solder wires when I was 10 or 11 years old. That helped me repair my damaged Radio Control Cars. Luckily I’m a better electrician than a driver!
So I was quite tickled when I read about Platform 21’s Most Remarkable Repair Contest. The work submitted really resonated with me!

We received over 60 entries from all over the world in our Most Remarkable Repair Contest. They are all listed here. Do find yourself inspired by these clever repairs and pick your favourite.
Sunday 30 August, during the last day of Platform21 = Repairing, we announced who made the most remarkable repair according to our jury.
The jury, consisting of amateur repairwoman and hotel owner Suzanne Oxenaar (Lloyd Hotel), tool tester and editor-in-chief Erwin van der Zande (Bright), and curator and inventor Arne Hendriks (Platform21), picked a winner and runner-up from ten nominees. Winner Siba Sahabi got to take home the special Repair Award created by artist Jan Vormann, and received an extensive Dremel toolkit. Also runner-up Capyso Schuijt was awarded a multifunctional Dremel. A shortlist of the best entries will be published in Bright magazine of October/ November.

Check out some of my favorites:Banister repairEntry by Any-One

The paper of which this fragile lamp was made ripped. Luckily, because this accident made the standard lamp into something different. With the repair I exegerated its new unique character. The mysterious opening makes you curious, you get to peep at the light.Cindy Wouters, the Netherlands

I think it is a challenge to repair something, especially when I am attached to something. Like I am to this cheese cheeseslicer, which makes slices with exactly the right width, but of which the wooden handle split. This is already the second time I repaired a cheeseslicer in this way: with a garden hose clamp and a little bit of glue to keep it waterproof. It has already lasted for several years now; it only can’t go in the dishwasher! I also repaired the glass lid to my favourite saucepan, of which the knob broke. At the hardware store I found a fitting door handle and with some extra rings it is solidly attached again!Mies Langelaan-Scheepers, Emmen, the Netherlands

I was looking for a way to repair my shrunken sweater, not by adding another layer of fabric but with the sweater in itself, to respect the original as much as possible. How could it be enlarged again? Cutting the fabric in a brick pattern made the shrunken sweater stretchable again and by putting it on, it adjusted into a wearable size automatically.Calypso Schuijt, the Netherlands

Question to ask us ourselves now is what can we do with our products/designs to make them repairable? Especially in the field of consumer electronics?
At the end of the day, I really love how this whole effort fosters the creation of sustainable behaviors which I believe is a much better way than trying to fix our carbon footprint from recycling activities. Check out the rest of the work at Platform 21.
Via: Fastcompany